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a shaken laugh. "You have a few years before you need to worry about the other form of cruelty, I think." She released him, leaned back onto her heels, and took his hand into hers. "You must not blame the lovely ladies overmuch. You must try to remember that they are poor, weak things and their beauty is the only power they have. Thus they have no choice but to use itsometimes unwisely." |
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"Aa queen has power," Geoffrey faltered. |
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"Not as much as appears, and Queen Isabella has many private sorrows thatthat make her impatient andand jealous where, really, she should not be. Never mind her anymore, Geoffrey. You now belong to Lord Ian and, a little, only as much as you yourself desire, to me. Lord Ian will not allow anyone, even the queen, to harm you. And if you will permit it, I, too, will love you. There is no need to answer that. Just keep it in your mind. Now, since you are not ill, perhaps you would run some errands for me?" |
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"Good." Alinor thought the best thing for him was to be kept well occupied until calm was restored to him. "I want my chief huntsman and my head falconer. They are somewhere around the castle grounds, but I do not know where. Do not worry if it takes you time to find them. Just tell them to be sure to dine in hall today. Oh, yes, the chief groom also, but I am not sure he is in the keep. Do not ride out after him if he is not in the grounds." |
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"I am not likely to fall off my horse, madam," Geoffrey said indignantly, and then drew in his breath sharply as he realized he had been insolent. |
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Alinor laughed. "Of course not, but Lord Ian would be justly angered if, after leaving you with me because he feared you were not well, I allowed you to go careening off all over the countryside and paid no attention to you." |
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